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This article is the first of a series of articles on design thinking and what we at CLC Advisors, LLC call “i.e.,” the “idea economy.”

This week alone, I traveled from one continent to another and down the eastern coast and back home again. All this air travel was made possible by the investment, research, and development in science and technology, some of which came from space research from NASA and the military. Some of that investment birthed technologies like satellites and GPS for air transport guidance, internet connectivity and the wide array of mobile apps on my smartphone to get me to my destinations, reminders, plane ticket bookings, wingtip technologies on the Boeing and Airbus planes, wind and jet stream resiliency for airplane stability, weather guidance for a smoother ride home, medical research on passenger comfort, and research on gravity to land safely on the ground to name a few on what tax payer dollars and investments in science, technology, and space years ago has provided for our technologies today.

This week culminated in some spending two days with IBM’s OS Earth group, a new think tank bringing together a group of designers, scientists, and coders, the more fashionable of names now for one who was a programmer mere decades ago. I was reminded again yesterday during our sessions of why we are often drawn to the impossible and tasked with finding those answers and solutions to burning questions. It is great leadership that can allow impossible to become possible and no matter who is sitting in an office in a city, territory, or country near you, that progress cannot be stifled.

“Newton explored the meaning of gravity. Last month electric lights and telephones and automobiles and airplanes became available. Only last week did we develop penicillin and television and nuclear power, and now if America’s spacecraft succeeds in reaching Venus, we will have literally reached the stars before midnight tonight.

This is a breathtaking pace, and such a pace cannot help but create new ills as it dispels old, new ignorance, new problems, new dangers. Surely the opening vistas of space promise high costs and hardships, as well as high reward.

So it is not surprising that some would have us stay where we are a little longer to rest, to wait. But this city of Houston, this state of Texas, this country of the United States was not built by those who waited and rested and wished to look behind them. This country was conquered by those who moved forward — and so will space.”
– President John F. Kennedy, Jr.

As I watched a program hosted by Morgan Freeman on wormhole theories, I was also reminded that time does not always move linearly. Einstein in his theory of relativity proved that time sometimes folds and we see patterns of repetitiveness. This is one of those times, but no matter what, it is always fluid. So, take this time to move to the past for a little over 17 minutes to one of the greatest and inspirational leaders with whom we had too short of time with, but in that short time inspired a generation and the ripple effects of an incredible era of invention, innovation, new industries, humanity, and wealth creation. Believe me, it is worth those 17 minutes of time to hear those presidential words again.

The broad advancements in science in the areas of climate change, earth science, research and development, mathematics, and technology are still necessary and to echo White House Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith, “not a charity case, but a prosperity case.” It is all hands on deck and imperative for the survival of many species on this Spaceship Earth.

If you are an entrepreneur or startups who are working on climate change, aerospace, data science your own Mars Shot, or market entry into the United States, our team at CLC Advisors, LLC can help you. Contact us to find out more information or go to our website www.clcadvisors.com.

About CLC Advisors, LLCCLC Advisors, LLC is a firm of trusted advisors and management consultants focusing on development and execution strategies to build and incubate value-based business ventures, innovations, initiatives, and forward technologies. We are dedicated to finding solutions for traditional business models or expanding into the growing arenas of impact investing, corporate social responsibility, sustainability, and philanthropy venture capital.

The White House announced a couple of weeks ago the International Entrepreneur Rule, establishing clear criteria to identify on a case-by-case basis entrepreneurs who would provide significant public benefit to the United States, based on factors including the entrepreneur’s ownership stake and leadership role; the growth potential of the startup; competitive research grants from federal, state, and local government agencies; and investment by qualified American investors. The proposed rule would allow such entrepreneurs to remain in the United States for an initial period of up to two years, followed by one additional period of up to three years contingent on meeting certain additional benchmarks.

About Organization: CLC Advisors, LLC is a firm of trusted advisors and management consultants focusing on development and execution strategies to build and incubate value-based business ventures and innovation. We work with global businesses, government institutions and organizations in both the private, public, and social sectors. Whether it is through thorough analysis, streamlining or restructuring for our clients’ needs, we are dedicated to finding solutions for business models to expand into the growing arenas of impact investing, corporate social responsibility, sustainability, and philanthropy venture capital.

With our network partners we connect our clients with investment funds, PE firms, hedge funds & venture capitalists who are looking for impact opportunities and alternative investments. Global leaders who have a deep understanding & compassion for social responsibility, business growth and the triple bottom line: social, environmental and economic returns for broader economic growth.

We provide advisory services in innovation, leadership and management expertise for private and public companies in addition to NGOs, think tanks and philanthropic institutions. We believe that leadership is crucial to the direction of companies and invest time in assisting with strengthening teams for strategic expansion as an incubator for growing companies, creative business sectors and new ideas or concepts. In the growing field of philanthropy venture capital, we step into new and unchartered territory by bridging the gap between the humanities and the finance world. Execution is key.

What inspired you to start this organization?

CLC Advisors, LLC was started based on the ideas of creating social impact during the downturn of philanthropy and capitalism over seven years ago during the midsts of the U.S. capital market crisis. I had a deep interest in what the future of jobs and sustainability efforts would look like. I realized that philanthropy was not enough in order to sustain non-profit institutions or social impact initiatives. A new asset class and industry was being born.

What is strategy? “In essence, choosing a unique and valuable position rooted in systems of activities that are more difficult to match in the economic basis of competitive advantage to the level of the specific activities a company performs.” Since that time, we have grown by focusing on strategic advisory and capital investment work to bring to fruition ideas, creating solutions and products by leveraging the alliance of people and talent in science, technology, the arts and public policy/political roles in both the for profit and non-profit worlds. We have a portfolio of projects across several social impact areas in private and public sector collaborations.

Goal. My goal is to help people mobilize and deploy private resources, including money, time, social capital and expertise, to improve the world in which we live. It is one of my personal measurements for success.

What is the next big step you hope to help your organization reach?

Large-scale advisory projects and initiatives. I prefer idea and conception strategies on how to grow companies or start them and then scale. The projects I’m passionate about focus on specific companies, partners, and startups that are in the aerospace, STEM, climate change, environment, energy, and sustainability areas, but we have also taken on projects in the arts, music or film. In the past seven years, our reach has crossed borders and oceans to Western Europe, Africa, MENA, East Asia and the Pacific, Southeast Asia, and South America. We are growing our portfolio and work in the Nordic countries, East Asia, Southeast Asia, South America, and Africa. I would love to do a project with NASA’s or CERN’s innovation hubs and leverage their research and development into a private sector business or company. Also, some thing in the area of healthcare and safety. It has been on my vision board for over five years now.

Women entrepreneurs. We also have a strong interest in investing and mentoring women entrepreneurs. Venture funds now look for women entrepreneurs and diversity. After McKinsey Global Institute study and IMF research reports showed that advancing gender equality, meaning the advancement of women, can increase the annual global GDP (growth domestic product) by $12 trillion, or 11%, by 2025. The public, private, and social sectors need to act to close the gender gaps. In a full potential scenario where women play an identical role in labor markets to that of men, as much as $28 trillion or 26 percent could be added to global annual GDP by 2025.

Mentorship. Mentorship is key to help young entrepreneurs grow their businesses. I would not be where I am today with the support of a wide network of people and their generosity and wisdom. Don’t only pay it forward, also pay it back.

What has been your biggest obstacle as an entrepreneur?

In the beginning, the biggest obstacle was convincing investment firms the vision, economical, and financial impact of social entrepreneurship and for-purpose companies. Most investors were only interested in alpha revenue business models and a singular bottom line, not a triple bottom line. With the expansion and growth of social entrepreneurship like Big Society Capital’s initial investment fund of £600 Million and Goldman Sachs’ social impact bond in the criminal justice system, investment firms and corporations have since realized the importance of social responsilibity in their growth and corporate strategies.

What advice would you give other emerging entrepreneurs?

I’ve learned many lessons, but the most important are patience, perseverance, and an absolute belief in your vision. Invest in yourself through knowledge acquisition, build your network by surrounding yourself with the best talented minds, and know that experience is often underrated so don’t always go for the quick return or solution. There is a quote from Mark Suster who said, “Lemons ripen early. Great companies take time.” I have more of a Warren Buffet approach to business than probably most investors. I like to build companies that will last more than 25 years that pay dividends.

This post was originally published on the 2016 Global Entrepreneurship Summit Publication here and on our Medium account here.